Today, he remains an active part of the IDF Education Corps and Rabbinate. His weapon today is his voice—used to uplift and unify a nation still facing threats.

By World Israel News Staff

At 96 years old, Ezra Yachin holds the distinction of being Israel’s oldest active reservist in the IDF. His service spans over eight decades, beginning at age 15 when he joined the underground Lehi (Freedom Fighters for Israel) movement to fight the British occupation of the Land of Israel.

Yachin joined the underground Lehi movement, also known as the Stern Gang, at just 15, fighting against British rule in Mandatory Palestine.

His work was both covert and dangerous. Stationed at the Jerusalem post office, he secretly copied British military telegrams, feeding intelligence directly to Lehi’s command.

He also participated in surveillance missions, tracking British police and officials as a member of Lehi’s Department 6, its intelligence branch.

But Yachin wasn’t limited to espionage. He engaged in combat operations, targeted sabotage missions, and propaganda efforts. He helped spread Lehi’s anti-colonial messaging across Jerusalem, recruiting youth and encouraging Jewish resistance.

His commitment came at a cost: Yachin was shot in the thigh during a mission to disarm British police and later sustained severe head injuries while attempting to breach Jerusalem’s Old City—an act that left him blind in one eye.

His code name, Elnakam, was adopted after the torture and murder of fellow fighter Alexander Rubowitz at the hands of British officer Roy Farran, symbolizing Yachin’s vow for justice and remembrance.

Yachin documented his experiences in his memoir Elnakam: Story of a Fighter for the Freedom of Israel, offering insight into the perilous fight for statehood and the personal toll it exacted.

Promoted recently to Command Sergeant Major, Yachin also lit a ceremonial torch during Israel’s 76th Independence Day, hailed as a “symbol of victory of the spirit.”

The IDF recalled Ezra Yachin following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks—not for combat, but to serve as a symbol of resilience and inspiration for younger soldiers.

Today, he remains an active part of the IDF Education Corps and Rabbinate. His weapon today is his voice—used to uplift and unify a nation still facing threats.

Yachin gives up to five speeches a week to battalions and students, sharing stories from Israel’s founding and the underground Lehi movement. He instills the “spirit of the underground,” reminding troops of the sacrifices made for Israel’s independence.

Many senior officers heard him speak as recruits and want today’s soldiers to benefit from his legacy as a living link to history.

In his own words: “If we still have an enemy, I have to be a fighter.”

Yachin’s story is one of resilience, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to the Zionist cause.

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Ezra Yakhin, ‘The love of Israel is the power that drives more than any weapon; it operates our weapons in the right way, it will prevail.’

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Ezra Yakhin, who fought in the Lehi paramilitary organization before the founding of the State of Israel, was promoted by the IDF at the age of 96.

Yakhin, engaged in reserve duty with the IDF Rabbinate, was promoted to Command Sergeant Major in a special ceremony.

Yakhin is involved with the IDF Rabbinate and the Education Corps unit of lecturers called “Torchbearers.”

In the ceremony celebrating his promotion, it was said that Yakhin “lit a torch on the last Independence Day, leaving a mark on the younger generation of fighters with his combat heritage.”

Since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7th, Yakhin has been visiting bases and encouraging troops that devotion to Israel will result in victory over terrorist forces.

Yakhin told the B’Sheva newspaper, “I appear before soldiers, clarify the situation for them, encourage them, and tell them how in our time we won with the self-sacrifice and the love of Israel.”

He continued, “I tell them: the more you love the people of Israel and the land of Israel, the more we will win.”

Yakhin explained, “The love of Israel is the power that drives more than any weapon; it operates our weapons in the right way, it will prevail. Rise with the love of Israel and the love of the land of Israel and defeat the enemy and save Israel.”

Yakhin said that before Hamas’s invasion on October 7th, he had a premonition a major war would start.

“In the last month before the war, I hadn’t missed any news article because I felt it was going to start. I understood what our government, the politicians, and the media didn’t understand,” he said.

Although he was officially recruited for reserve duty after the outbreak of the war, Yakhin says he feels he has been serving in the IDF all of his life.

“I was called up on the second day. Since the age of 15, when I joined the Lehi, until today, I have been enlisted for the sake of the people of Israel. Only death releases me from service,”Yakhin cited a lyric from a ehi anthem Chayalim Almonim (Unknown Soldiers).

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